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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

The Newest National Park Service Site

Only a week ago, the National Park Service announced its newest site, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park! The site is a partnership with the Department of Energy to preserve, protect, and provide access to three important sites from the Manhattan Project: Oak Ridge, TN, Los Alamos, NM, and the Hanford Site in WA.

The Hanford B-Reactor Site from June 1944

The intent is to tell the story of one of America's most transformative scientific discoveries, while also reminding visitors that these actions and discoveries must be handled with great care because of their world-changing consequences. One additional point that makes this site different from almost all other historic parks is that these facilities still have active missions. The park is in its infancy now and is expected to mature over the next few years, but it can still be toured immediately. For more information, visit the park website or read the press release.

I love history, especially learning the various pieces that combined to make America America, so I look forward to visiting this park. My list of NPS sites continues to grow, though. It's now up to 434 (click here for planning resources or to track my progress on this massive list).